This is what actually prompted me to start this blog. I'm in the process of rebuilding my homelab and thought it might be fun to document the process, both for myself, and for anyone that happens to be in a similar situation and stumbles upon this blog.
First, what is a homelab?
A lab is a place where you can safely conduct experiments without worrying (too much) about the consequences. I work in IT, and this allows me to try out new technologies or even explore entirely new areas of interest in my own lab. There are many types of homelabs, but I'm setting up a generic IT homelab. A homelab can be as big or as small as you wish it to be. It can range from an old laptop with some VMs installed or a Raspberry Pi. Alternatively, it might consist of several enterprise-grade servers and network gear in a full-size racks. Some people want to learn about cybersecurity, application development, or network management, among other IT areas. These are all great to practice in the comfort of your own lab. The "downside" is that you either learn to fix your mistakes or rebuild, gaining more experience either way.
My homelab is connected to my home network, so I should write a bit about that. My ISP provides me with internet connectivity through a 4-port router/switch that the ISP owns and manages. I also lease a couple of TV boxes from my ISP. These belong to my ISP, and I don’t want to interfere with them. The third port is connected to my employer-provided laptop for when I'm working from home. That leaves one port for the rest of my devices. Currently, this port is connected to a network switch, which has some PCs and laptops connected to it. The router provides DHCP and Wi-Fi, so I'm basically running a "flat network."
What do I plan to build?
This is the big question. Right now, I'm considering splitting my network in two. One part will be my "production" network, which will include my personal PCs and laptops, my NAS, my "smart" TV, and any other gear I want to have running in a stable fashion. The other part will be my homelab proper, which will be somewhat isolated from the rest of my equipment. I'm thinking of setting up a Proxmox cluster and some Docker systems.